Published: July 02, 2009 10:59 pm      

Police stepping up DUI patrols for holiday weekend

State, county and city police officers want everyone to enjoy July 4 — and be alive to remember it afterward.

Through the holiday weekend, officers will be out in full force to enforce traffic laws and get drunk drivers off the roads.

Troopers will increase patrols on the state’s highways in an effort to keep holiday travelers safe, according to State Police. The summer brings an increase in traffic volume and construction. July 4 is the second-deadliest day of the year on the nation’s roadways.

State Police will work with two national highway safety campaigns: Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Over the Limit, Under Arrest.” Today through Sunday marks the targeted period for both campaigns. Troopers will strictly enforce laws dealing with DUI, reckless driving, speeding, failure to buckle seatbelts and child restraint violations.

State highway safety organizations such as the Governor’s Highway Safety Program and the Commission on Drunk Driving Prevention have also provided funding for police around the state to increase patrols and participate in DUI enforcement efforts.

Motorists are reminded they can help law enforcement by reporting reckless drivers and stranded motorists. They can call *77 from any cell phone in West Virginia, and the call will be routed to the nearest State Police detachment.

The Beckley Police Department will aggressively step up enforcement during the holiday weekend, according to the Southern Regional Highway Safety Program.

Typically, travel increases dramatically during the July 4 weekend because of family gatherings, celebrations and fireworks. It is also a holiday when officers often see a spike in alcohol-related crashes and fatalities. With that in mind, city police will increase the number of officers patrolling the roads, searching for drunk drivers and others violating traffic laws.

City officers will begin the patrols early today with aggressive driving and “Target Red” red light violation patrols and add DUI patrols through the evening and night. They will also conduct a DUI checkpoint on U.S. 19 this evening.

Officers throughout southern West Virginia will also increase patrols to ensure motorists’ safety. Officers are warning those celebrating to do so responsibly and to designate a sober driver in advance.

Raleigh County sheriff’s Deputy J.L. Redden said his department will also conduct a sobriety checkpoint on W.Va. 41 tonight. Deputies are looking for those driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, but they also want to stop those driving with revoked/suspended licenses.

The sheriff’s department will conduct increased patrols and more sobriety checkpoints through the entire month.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com